Thank you for visiting our site. However, we have closed for business and will no longer be selling or supporting BioPop products, nor taking any additional orders. We will honor any active gift coupons if redeemed by March 31, 2018. If you would like to get a DinoFood equivalent to feed your DinoPet or DinoSphere, please search for dinoflagellates and filtered sea water options available for sale on internet sites such as Amazon and Google.

We have enjoyed being able to bring to people interactive and living products that inspire connectivity with the natural world and hope that an appreciation for biological science continues to awaken the imagination in minds of all generations.

I love my Dino Pet. I had originally planned on giving him to a nephew, but the Dino is so cool that I can’t quite seem to part with it (please, don’t tell).

Zoie H.

It's cleaner than the dogs, eats less than the baby and smells better than me. A perfect addition!!

Jeremy T.

I love my Dino Pet. I had originally planned on giving him to a nephew, but the Dino is so cool that I can’t quite seem to part with it (please, don’t tell).

Zoie H.

It's cleaner than the dogs, eats less than the baby and smells better than me. A perfect addition!!

Jeremy T.

The Dino Pet in 3 Easy Steps

Flip your Dino Pet and open the shell using a coin, lucky or otherwise.

Pour the pouch of dinos into the Dino Pet and top off with a little Dino Food.

Congrats! Your dinos are ready to glow once you play with them at night.

People are talking about the Dino Pet!

It's cleaner than the dogs, eats less than the baby and smells better than me. A perfect addition!!

-Jeremy T

Watch the Dino Pet in Action!

The Dino Pet Story

While on a valiant quest to construct a sustainable biolight (biological light), the mad-ly skilled scientists at BioPop began experimenting with a particular type of bioluminescent plankton, called dinoflagellates, as a possible light source.

As they nurtured these dinoflagellates to find the best way to make them glow, the BioPop scientists came to a revolutionary realization: dinoflagellates is kinda hard to say. Their solution? Calling them ‘dinos’ for short, of course.

Next, they came to two even-more-revolutionary realizations: 1) the dinos required too much external stimulation (shaking) to make a truly sustainable biolight, and 2) the subjects of this pet project were kind of like a pet… The coolest pet ever!

With a minimal amount of nurturing, the dinos would create a light show. Even cooler, the light show depended on how well they cared for them. Much like stars in Claire Danes movies, unhappy dinos don’t glow as bright.

As the dust settled from their aha moment, they realized they needed the perfect home for their dynamic, light-producing new pets. Fortunately, their answer was in the nickname they’d already given them.

The dinoflagellates in the Dino Pet are special because they have a circadian clock that controls their bioluminescence and photosynthesis cycles. This internal clock is on a 24-hour cycle.
Dinoflagellates (dinos) are special because they have a circadian clock that controls when they can take in light and when they can produce light. Like most of us, they follow the sunrise and sunset of the day.
Since your dinos were born in San Diego, they are accustomed to glowing 5pm PT - 5am PT. Depending on where you live, there might be a slight time difference to account for initially. Your dinos will adapt to your schedule over time.
Ideally, dinos should be placed in a location that gets 10-14 hours of moderate light and 10-14 hours of darkness each day. Dinos should not receive bright light or direct sunlight as this can heat them up. Soft artificial light will work just fine.

Whale... let us start by saying that Dino Food is to dinoflagellates (dinos) as plant food is to plants. If you fail to feed a potted plant it will not suddenly die but instead, over time, will suffer nutrient deficiencies. You can overfeed a plant just as you can overfeed your Dino Pet. Please...Do not overfeed!
Dino Food is composed of nutrient-rich seawater. BioPop recommends feeding your Dino Pet 1/5 of the pouch once every 7-10 days. To make room for Dino Food, pour out some of the contents. You can pour your dinos into a sterile, clear container to start a new population (a mason jar with a lid works great!).
One pouch of Dino Food contains 5 feedings. Dino Food can be purchased in multiple packs from the BioPop website, and stored in a cool dry location for up to 6 months.

Finding a happy home for your dinoflagellates (dinos) is easier than you think! Place your dinos in a room that gets soft light during the day, and darkness at night. Light bulbs work well as a light source, but make sure they aren’t overheating the dinos. A small amount of light at night is ok, but please find as dark a spot as you can manage. Dinos enjoy the same temperatures that you and I typically do (63-77° F or 17-25° C).

Although some species of dinoflagellates (dinos) live in fresh water, the particular dinos we sell (Pyrocystis fusiformis) are found naturally in the deep blue sea. BioPop collected a few dinos off the coast of San Diego to start our original culture. Today, our dinos are continuously reproducing in our greenhouse-like environment so as not to impact the environment or global dino population.

The dinoflagellates in our products (Pyrocystis fusiformis) are nontoxic and completely safe for humans and animals. That being said, we dolphin-ately don't recommend drinking the dinoflagellates because they live in salt water that can give you an upset stomach.

For starters, each time you add more Dino Food to your Dino Pet, you're allowing plenty of air to exchange. It's not necessary to remove the cap outside of regular feedings, but you can do it for the halibut!

Dinoflagellates (dinos) are single-celled marine plankton (algae). More specifically, our dinos are a species of non-toxic phytoplankton known as Pyrocystis fusiformis. During the day, they photosynthesize just like plants do. At night, these dinos have the ability to bioluminesce in response to movement.
Fin fact- dinos produce more than half of the Earth's oxygen. That's more than all the grass, trees, forests and rainforests put together!

Dinoflagellates (dinos) reproduce asexually, meaning you don’t have to worry about teaching your youngsters about the birds and the bees… yet ;-) The rate at which they reproduce is entirely dependent on the amount of available light, dark, and nutrients. Typically, they will double every 7-10 days. Your job as a responsible Dino-owner is making sure your dinos get enough time in the light and plenty of time in the dark. BioPop sells the supplemental nutrients to make sure your dinos stay happy and healthy!

Scientists hypothesize that bioluminescence helps dinoflagellates (dinos) avoid some night-time predation. The theory is referred to as the Burglar-Alarm Theory. When a predator is disturbing their environment, their natural light gives away the location of that predator. In turn, that predator becomes dinner for a larger fish. Sea you later, dino predator!

Please don't! Nothing included in your shipment should go in the fridge. The dinoflagellates are living organisms that need a precise temperature range to live (63-77° F or 17-25° C). As soon as you receive the package, read and follow the instructions.
If for some reasons you are unable to fill your Dino Pet or Dino Sphere with the dinoflagellates upon delivery, take the dinoflagellate pouch out of the box and give it the lighting and temperature conditions as described in the instructions. The dinoflagellates can live in their pouch with the right conditions for several days.

With small feedings of Dino Food (for the Dino Pet) or Dino Nutrients (for the Dino Sphere) every 7-10 days, your dinos can potentially reproduce indefinitely. Be careful not to overfeed your dinos. If this is all getting a little overwhelming, don’t worry — a complete care manual is included in your shipment.
If your dinos stop glowing for any reason within 90 days of your purchase, drop us a line to receive a complimentary replacement of dinoflagellates.

If your dinoflagellates (dinos) aren't as bright as they once were, here are some first aid tips to follow:

Bioluminescence is a good indicator of health. If your dinos appear dimmer at night and are not producing the light they once were – DO NOT FEED. Stop all feedings and put your dinos in a low light location (8-14 hrs/day).

Make sure the location allows for steady and consistent day/night cycles. If possible, use a light timer to control the duration of light during the day. Leave your dinos in this location for several days without moving.

You may also open the belly cap or remove the plug briefly once a day to allow for better air exchange. Doing so for a few minutes will help equilibrate the dinos' environment.

After 3- 4 days, check for bioluminescence. Once your dinos begin lighting up again, you may continue feeding regularly.

You need to interact with your dinoflagellates (dinos) at night, in the dark in order to see them glow.
Just as in nature, the light dinos emit is transient, lasting only while the dinos are in motion. Once you stop moving them, the light quickly fades until their environment is in motion again. This helps them conserve energy so they can continue to #staylit.

Let us put your mind at seas... it's okay to shake your dinos! Dinoflagellates exist in tumultuous environments in the natural world. They're used to cruising with the currents and crashing with the waves, so a little shake is nothing they aren’t well accustomed to.Furthermore, dinos are a photosynthetic plankton (marine algae). This means they’re much more akin to the grass in your yard than they are to the dog in your yard. Dinoflagellates don’t have brains, nervous systems, pain receptors or anything of the sort.